Circuit-breaker.



No. 773,119. 7 PATENTED OCT. '25, 1904} A. F. CHRISTMAS. CIRCUITBREAKER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 22 1903.

N0 MODEL.

g :No. 773,1 19.

NITED STAT-ES Patented October 25, 1904.

' ADOLPH r. CHRISTMAS," orrirrseuae, PENNSYLVANIA, AssIoNoR orTWO-THIRDS TO FRANK a. ,MCFEAT'rERs, or w LiuNsenae.

SYLVAN'IA.

ciRouiT-BREA ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 773,119, dated October25,1904.

A nmaa filed June '22, 1903.

To (btl whom it may concern.- '2

Be it known that I, ADOLPH F., GHR1sTMAs, a resident'oi' Pittsburg, inthe county of Allegheny. and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a newand useful Improvement in Circuit-Breakers; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to circuit-breakers; and the object is. to providea device of this kind which will automatically make and break thecircuit by the mere closing of the circuit 'at some other point. v

A further object of myinvention is to provide a device of this characterwhich'is simple and cheap in construction, which cannot get out oforder, and Which can be used in places where more complicated devicescannot be used.

In many relations it is desirable to use an interrupted direct currentor an alternating current of less" frequency than the standardcommercial circuits. It is also often desirable to havea current madeand broken at short intervals in order to properly operate certaintranslating devices such, for instance, as bells, signals. reciprocatingtools, and the like, where the magnet-coil must be energized to move thearmature to give the stroke and which must then be deenergized in orderto permit the'armature to return to its normal position.

My invention has for its object to provide a simple circuit maker andbreaker which is adapted for the uses above specified.

To this end it consists of suitable circuitterminals'or contacts inseries in the circuit, together with a magnet also in seriesinthecircuit and whose armature is connected to the contactsand so arrangedas to separate the same as soon as the circuit is closed at thetranslating device, said contacts being so arranged that as soon as themagnet is denergized by the breaking of the circuit the contacts willautomatically close, thus again making the circuit, the arrangementbeing such that the time interval between the breaking of'the circuitand when it is again closed,

serarnofieasvo. (No model.)

as well asthe length of contact, can be regulated. I

In the accompanylng drawings, Figure l'is a view, partly in diagram andpartly in. secv Fig. 2

tion, showing my circuit-breaker. is a cross-section through themagnet-armature, and Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing a slightmodification. r

The generatoris shown at 1, and this may be of any suitable type, analternating generator beingshown for illustration; butthis is notessential. The mains Q-and 3 lead from this generator and may haveconnected therein one or more, translating devicesv of any kind ordescription.

The circuit making and breaking device comprises a magnet-coil, such asthe solenoid 10, which is placed in series in the circuit as,

for instance, inthe main 2-and the armature I 11 thereof being connectedto suitable circuitt'erminals and so arranged as to separate the same onthe making of the circuit. Various forms and arrangements of magnets andcontact-terminals may be employed, the arrange; ment shown in thedrawings belng largely illustrative and being preferred because of themercury contact contained therein, which will not oxidize and is thusfree from one source of trouble generally found'in circuitbreakers.

As shown in the drawings, the circuit-wire Qis connected to themevcury-cu p 12. A companion mercury-cupTS is placed in proximitythereto, and to this is connected the circuitwire 14, which leads to thetranslating device.

The mercury-cups 12 and 13- are formed in a block of insulating material15, such as fiber, and in order to make the circuit said cups arebridged by means of a suitable metallic piece, such as the copper fork16. This fork is attached toa piece of fiber 17 or other insulatingmaterial, which at its upper end is provided with an enlargement, suchas the washer l8, and is-s'urrounded by the core 11 All of the movableparts of the solenoid 10. are inclosed by means of a tube or casing 19,of glass, fiber, or other insulating material, and said case is closedat the top by the spool that shown in Fig. 1.

or bobbin 20 of the solenoid. Preferably the solenoid-core 11 is split,having the gap 21, as indicated in Fig. 2, so as to prevent theformation of eddy-currents. The solenoid core 11 is preferably of lesslength than the distance between the fork 16 and washer 18, so that uponthe energization of the magnet the core will be free to moveupwardlyslightly before it begins to raise the fork 16. By varying the distancebetween the top of the core 11 and the washer 18 the time that thecircuit remains closed can be regulated. in Fig. 1' the top of the core11 is quite close to the washer 18, while in Fig. 3 there is anappreciably greater distance between the top of the core and 'thewasher. Consequently the circuit-closer shown in Fig. 3 will maintainthe circuitclosed fora longer period than The rapidity of the upwardmovement of the core can also be varied by varying the number of turnsof the magnet, and this also will affect the length of time the circuitremains closed. As soon as the core comes into contact with the washer18 it will lift the fork out of the mercurycups, thus breaking thecircuit. This immediately deenergizcs the solenoid, so that said corewill to drop back into the mercury-cups and again make the circuit. Thisagain immediately energizes the magnet. raised and will again break thecircuit, and this operation will continue automatically and repeatedlyas long as the circuit remains closed at the. translating device. Asaconsequence the translating device will be alternately energized anddecnergized.

It will be observed that the circuit-making device 16 drops by gravity,and as a consequcnce an appreciable interval of time will elapse betweenthe breaking of the circuit and the moment when it is again made. The

interval of time depends upon the distance throughwhich thecircuit-making device 16 must drop. If this distance be comparativelylarge, the interval of time will be correspondingly large and thefrequency of the current correspondingly low,- whereas if the distancethrough which this device falls is small the time interval will alsobesmall and the frequency of 1 Means will the current correspondinglyhigh. therefore be provided for ad usting or regulating the distance towhich the circuit-clos-v ing device 16 is raised, thus determining thedistance through which said device must fall by gravity,an -l thereforedetermining the time interval of the current. It is found in actualpractice that the energization of the coil will causesuch an upwardmovement of the core as to bring the top of the stem 17 into contactwith the end of the bobbin 20. Consequently if suitable adjustingdevice's be placed between the stem 17 and bobbin-head 20 the distancethrough which the circuit-closing dedrop, thus permitting the fork 16'The core will again be r vice 16 must fall will be regulated. Aconvenientmcans for accomplishing this is by merely placing one or moreadditional washers 18 on top of the washer 18 and securing the same inplace by the screw shown. This will have the effect of lengthening thestem 17 so that the upward movement of the circuit-closing device 16will be less than when only one washer is employed, and this willdecrease the time interval between the breaking and mak ing of thecircuit, thus giving a current of higher frequency at the translatingdevice than when only a single washer is employed on the end of the stem17. Various other 5 means for securing this zuljustment will suggestthemselves to those skilled in the art such as an ordinary screw thebobbin head 20, as shown in Fig. 3. Should the contact-piece 16 drop tooslowly,- it may be assisted in its downward movement by a coiled spring23, placed between the stem 17 and bobbin-head 20.

The operation of my device is very simple and will be understood fromthe foregoing description. Suflicc .it to say that as long the circuitis kept closed at the translating device the circuit will beautomatically broken and made by the upward and d wnwar il play of thecircuit-closing device 16, due to the alternate energization anddeenergization of the solenoid 10. In this way an interrupted current issupplied to the translatii'igdevice, and the frequency of suchinterrupted current can be regulated by varying the distance to whichthe circuit-closing device 16 is raised, while the length of theimpulses can be regulated by either varying the number of turns in thesolenoid 10 or by varying the distance between the top of the core 11and the washer 18. The circuit maker and breaker is not only automaticin its operation, but is exceedingly simple, so-that it-cannot get outof order and needs practically no attention. The mercury contact also isnot subject to oxidation, and inasmuch the movable parts are inclosed ina tightcasing the volatilization of the mercury will do no harm and willresult in no loss, as the fumes will again condense and seek theirproper position in the mercury-cups.

l/Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is

1. A circuit-breaker comprising a movable contact, a cooperatingcontact, a magnet in the circuit, an armature for said n'iagnet,connections between said armature and movable contact so arranged thatsaid armature may move for a short distance before moving the movablecontact, and means for varying the extent of movement of said armature.

2. A circuit-breaker comprising a movable contact arranged to close bygravity, a cooperating contact, a magnet in the circuit,"an armature forsaid magnet, connections between said armature and movable contact so2:2, tapped through 10 said solenoid is energized.

, 4. A circuit-breaker comprisinga movable contact arranged to close bygav'ity,,a coop- ,erating contact, a magnet in" the circuit, an armaturefor said magnet, and connections between said ari'natu-re and movablecontact so arranged that said armature may move idly for ashort-distanee and then engage the contact and raise the same. 1

5. A circuit-breaker comprising a movable l il.

contact arranged to close by gravity, a'coopw 5 that the solenoid-corehas a certain amount of crating contact, a solenoid in the circuit, a.

hollow core therefor, anda stem connected to said movable contact andextending through said hollow core, th'earrangei nent being such free oridle movement on saidste'm.

.6. A circuit-breaker comprising 'aimovable A contact arrangedto closeby gravity, a cooperating contact, a solenoid in the circuit, a

3 hollow split coretherefor, and a stemeoncrating contact, a magnet inthe circ nected to the movable contact and projecting through saidhollow core. 1' 7. A circuit-breaker comprising a movable contactarranged to close by gravity, a coopt, an armature therefor, connectionsbetween'the armature and movable contact.wherebythe presence of currenton the circuit will open said contact, and means for adjusting the open-4 ing movement of said movablecontact.

8. A circuit-breaker comprising a'movable contact arranged to close bygravity, acoop-l erating contact, a solenoid in the circuit, a coretherefor connected to said movable contact, an

abutment against which said core will strike in the openingmevementt andadjustable means between said core and abutment.

of the contacts, whereby the presence of current on the circuit willbreak the latter.

10. A cireuit-brez'iker comprising a m'crcury contact in series in thecircuit, a movable contact arranged to fall into the mercury contact bygravity, 'a magnet in the; circuit, an armature therefor, andconi'iectionsbetween said armature and movable contact whereby thepresence of current onjth'e "ir'cuit-will break the latter.- I

11. A circuit-breaker comprising 'rnercury contacts inclosed in anaii?tigli t casing and arf ranged in series in the circu t,- am'ovablecontact arranged to fall -into the mercnrycontach by gravity, a'magnet'in itmwuiaan arma'- ture therefor, and. connections Fbetweensaid v,

arn'iature and movable con'tact vi iih'erebythe presence of current'ontlie c'ircu the latter,

will b te I Acircuit-breakercgmp i m I contact arranged to cl b gmvlwaac061)? crating contact, a. magnet the 'circuit,an.

armature for saidmagnet', connections her for a short-distance and'thenengage the-contween saidjarma ture and movable contact so I arrangedthat said armature may movei'id1y" 5 tact and raise the same, andmeansforadjustin'gthe opening movement of saidjmov'ablef. contact.

, 13. A circuit breaker comprising-a 1 cury contact, a movablecontaet'arran'ged to fallinto the mercury contact by gravity, an

cury contact; a movable contact arranged to tall intoithe mercury.contact by gravity,- an

9; A circnitbr'eaker comprisingcontacts in series in the circuit;asolenoid also in the cir- 5o cuit with itsbore arranged'fvertically,avertically-movable core-tor said solenoid and connections between; said'core and the contacts so arrange d' that the armature can move idly fora short distance and then move one armature arranged to engagesaidmo'yable' contact and lift'the same out oft'hemereury contact, atight casein which said contacts and armature are arranged, and amagnet-coil.

in the circuit and arranged to',actuate-said armature cooperating-withsaid movable contact and arranged to move idly for a short arranged,and'famagnet-coil" in the cirjeuitland arranged to-actuate saidarmature. In testin'iony whereof I, thesaid ADOLPI'I F.

CrmIs'r Aghavehereunto set my hand.

I f ADoLrirF.,eniiis'r As.

= Witnessesz j ROBERT, C. Terran, (LC. RAYMOND.

distance before raising the contact, atqght 7 'casingljn which saidcontacts and armature ai

